DHL switches track for Christmas run-up

DHL has increased its demand for EWS rail freight services, decreasing the stress on the roads in the busy weeks before Christmas. EWS are operating a nightly service for DHL from 5 December until 15 December. The service will depart from Mossend in central Scotland at around midnight for Walsall in the West Midlands, traveling at speeds of up to 100mph.

The existing regular services operated by EWS to and from Walsall and Mossend were initially increased from ten parcel vans a night to eleven for the pre-Christmas period. These services have now been strengthened again to 12 parcel vans per service to meet DHL’s requirements for additional capacity on these trains. The first trains with 12 parcel vans commenced on 25 November.

EWS express freight development manager, Paul Hawes, said: “With growth in on-line ordering, home deliveries are increasing year-on-year in the weeks leading up to Christmas. As DHL’s rail supplier, EWS is pleased to be providing an additional daily service, whilst also enhancing the level of existing services, to deliver the increase in haulage capacity required to make these deliveries. The additional capacity will result in fewer lorries on the road network this Christmas, which is good news for the environment.”